Hand Safety Tips: Avoid Lawn Mower Hand Injuries - DFW Hand Surgeon Dr. William Van Wyk
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Hand Safety Tips: Avoid Lawn Mower Hand Injuries - DFW Hand Surgeon Dr. William Van Wyk

Hand Safety Tips: Avoid Lawn Mower Hand Injuries

Stats & Tips to Raise Your Lawnmower Safety IQ

Hand Safety Tips: Avoid Lawn Mower Hand Injuries

Stats & Tips to Raise Your Lawnmower Safety IQ

Mowing a lawn: You and all of your neighbors do it every weekend of the summer, right? Operating a lawn mower, however, requires preparation and careful consideration of safety issues. Each year, more than 74,000 small children, adolescents and adults are injured by rotary, hand and riding power mowers due to improper handling. Don’t become a statistic; read on to safely mow your lawn and get your yard looking its best.

Kinetics of Rotary Power Lawnmowers
Kinetic energy (motion) imparted by a standard rotary blade is comparable to the energy generated by dropping a 21-pound weight from a height of 100 feet or is equal to three times the muzzle energy of a .357 Magnum pistol. Blade speed can eject a piece of wire or an object at speeds up to 100 miles per hour.

Lawn Mower Hand Injury Profile

  • Adults 25-64 years
  • Children under age five
  • 22% involve wrist, hand or finger
  • 14% involve foot, ankle or toes
  • 25% of all hand and foot injuries result in amputation
  • Deaths occurred in children under six years of age

Common Lawn Mower Hand Injury Patterns

  • Direct contact with rotating or jammed blade
  • Serious avulsion (tearing/separating) injuries to soft tissue and bones
  • Gross contamination from contact with grass and soil harboring pathogens
  • Injuries requiring multiple staged surgeries to cleanse wounds and provide soft tissue coverage (to regenerate healthy tissue/skin)

Common Weather Conditions Contributing to Lawn Mower Hand Injuries

  • Wet grass
  • Damp ground
  • Other Causes of Injury
  • Passengers (adult/child) on riding mowers or in cart towed behind mower
  • Mower being pulled backward
  • Sloping lawn mowed by power mower up and down slope, instead of across
  • Sloping lawn mowed by riding mower across slope, instead of up and down
  • Wearing sandals or open-toed shoes
  • Operator attempts to unclog blades with hand or foot

Other Lawn Mower Hand Safety Tips to Remember

  • Read your mower’s instruction manual prior to use.
  • DO NOT REMOVE safety devices or guards on switches.
  • NEVER insert hands or feet into the mower to remove grass or debris. Even with the motor turned off, the blade remains engaged.
  • ALWAYS use a stick or broom handle to remove any obstruction.
  • NEVER cut grass when it is wet or when the ground is damp.
  • NEVER allow a child to operate the mower at any time or be in the area to be mowed.
  • NEVER allow passengers, other than the operator, on riding mowers.
  • Keep your mower in good working order with sharp blades.
  • DO NOT DRINK before or while using your lawnmower.
  • Wear protective boots, goggles, gloves and long pants.
  • Do not operate the lawnmower while barefoot.
  • Be cautious when mowing hills or slopes.
  • REMEMBER — SAFETY FIRST AT ALL TIMES!

Material modified from the American Society for Surgery of the Hand.

Dallas-Fort Worth Hand Surgeon - 803 West Terrell - Fort Worth, Texas

DFW Hand Surgeon Services

Dr. William Van Wyk - Dallas-Fort Worth Hand Surgeon

Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon Specializing in Hand & Upper Extremity Surgery in Fort Worth
Since 1977

Upper extremity surgery in his practice is the elbow, forearm, wrist and hand. As a hand specialist, he sees approximately 300 hand patient visits per month in his office and performs on average 90-100 surgical procedures per month. Dr.Van Wyk is a member of the American Society for Surgery the Hand, American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery, the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery, Fort Worth-Dallas Hand Association, the American Medical Association, and the Tarrant County Medical Association.

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Patient Testimonial for DFW Hand Surgeon Dr. William Van Wyk

Did a great job on my hand!

I can’t say enough good about Dr. Van Wyk, excellent surgeon and did a great job on my hand. He fully explains things to you, doesn’t rush you in and out. Both he and his staff are super friendly and nice! Thanks Dr. Van Wyk, so happy that I found you! Shirley W.

PATIENT TESTIMONIALS

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